Shattered Streams/Part 4
Chapter 17= Peaceheart - Time of Disorder, not quite eleven moons after the Battle of All Fates "Peaceheart." Thrushflight's voice sounded oddly distant as he called to her from the barn entrance. "Pondbubble's here... and someone else, too. Three someone-elses, actually." Her curiosity arose as she dropped her mouse and padded toward her friend. "Who?" Three cats stepped forward beside Pondbubble—a long-furred white she-cat, a light brown tom with brown markings, and a cream-colored tom with brown markings. "This is Snowstorm," Thrushflight said, glancing toward the white she-cat. "Snowstorm?" The deputy of RiverClan when it was still united? The one that abandoned her nine lives? "Yes," Thrushflight answered, mouthing, We'll talk later. "And this is her mate, Mushroom, and Storm." He gestured in turn to the brown cat and the cream cat. Peaceheart nodded a greeting to the three of them. "I'm Peaceheart." "I remember you," Snowstorm said. "You were just a kit when I was still in the Clan. I knew your mother, Mintflower." "Oh yes, she's here too," Thrushflight told her. "Along with Leafwhisker and Gracklepaw. She's Gracklewing now." Right at that moment the black-furred medicine cat came around the corner. Her eyes widened when she saw Snowstorm. "Snowstorm! You're back!" "I heard you got a new name," Snowstorm replied. "Congratulations!" Gracklewing blushed. "Thanks." Snowstorm introduced her to Mushroom and Storm. Peaceheart slowly shrank into the background, seeking shelter among the barn's soft hay and quiet shadows. Are these cats here... to stay? There's enough room, sure, but I barely know them! Thrushflight seemed to sense her worry. After Gracklewing had taken the three newcomers hunting among the hay, the medicine cat pulled her aside. "Peaceheart, I know you're nervous about these cats, but they're going to help us end the war. After that, they probably won't be here much longer. Snowstorm is a true-hearted cat, and she gave up her leadership for a good reason." Peaceheart nodded slowly. "Thank you, Thrushflight. That—that really helped me." Her friend smiled. "That's a medicine cat's duty, Peaceheart." ---- The next Gathering was three days away. Thrushflight proposed that Snowstorm, Mushroom, and Storm could attend in secret, blending in with the crowd and not making conversation with any cat. The Fourth usually rolled in ferns and bracken to disguise their unique barn scent, and the three newcomers would to the same. So that left Peaceheart three days to get to know the new cats. She tagged along on their barn tour, which was being given by Gracklewing. At first glance, the barn looked pretty small and not very inviting. However, on the inside it was warm, cozy, and quite large, and while there were a lot of dust-covered cobwebs hanging in corners, Peaceheart thought it was sweet and homely. She had lived most of her life in it, had gone through her apprentice and warrior ceremonies in it, and felt that it was more of a home than the RiverClan camp had ever been. On the tour, Snowstorm, with Mushroom and Storm's help, told Gracklewing all about what had happened to her after she left RiverClan. Peaceheart listened with interest. It certainly sounds more interesting than what was happening around here. At least Snowstorm had had some change in her life. The tour was over before the story was. After Snowstorm ended her tale, Peaceheart worked up the courage to ask her why she'd left RiverClan in the first place. The she-cat's expression turned serious, and maybe a little bit sad. Peaceheart shrank into her shell again. Did I ask the wrong question? Snowstorm seemed to guess what she was thinking. "I'll tell you my story. You've probably heard what happened from your mother and everyone else living in the barn. Did Thrushflight ever tell you Jadestar's secret?" Jadestar was the leader before the war. This much Peaceheart remembered. She shook her head in response to Snowstorm's question. "No?" Snowstorm let out a sigh, not really of annoyance or depression, but of relief. "Well, that means I'll get to tell you myself. Would you like to walk with me?" |-|Chapter 18= Several minutes later, Peaceheart walked back to her nest in the barn, taking deep breaths so that her brain could comprehend everything Snowstorm had just explained. She now understood the she-cat's decision to leave her Clan, and was even considering what she would have done in Snowstorm's position. Would I have left if my Clanmates were disloyal? Peaceheart remembered what Snowstorm had told her. Would you not break the warrior code for the sake of the warrior code? Would I? Peaceheart sighed and snuggled deeper into her nest. If not, Snowstorm is a truer warrior than I am. ---- Three days later It was the night of the Gathering. Peaceheart sat behind Gracklewing, watching the leaders along with the medicine cat. She could see her holding her breath as the seven leaders disputed who would speak first. Tonight, apparently, the Four would speak together. "We have something extremely important to say." Every cat below was silent. "RiverClan has been split for eleven moons. If we cannot decide who will lead RiverClan by the time of the half-moon... then we will separate for good." Fear wormed its way into Peaceheart's belly. No... They can't. She leaned forward to whisper into Gracklewing's ear. The medicine cat nodded. "Thrushflight, did you notice..." Gracklewing's mentor nodded grimly. "We have a half-moon. Then..." Then it's over, Peaceheart realized. ---- Snowstorm paced in front of the Fourth. "You-you want me to speak for you?" "As a representative of the Fourth," Thrushflight meowed. "But—" Pondbubble protested. "She left them! They'll—" She broke off. Peaceheart knew what she was going to say. "But someone has to," Thrushflight told them. He'd been repeating that for the past twenty minutes. "Yes, but it doesn't have to be her!" Pondbubble said again. She'd been repeating that for the past twenty minutes. "It has to be someone," Thrushflight replied. Peaceheart turned her face to the ground. She couldn't stand hearing her friends argue. She would go, if Thrushflight would let her, but she would be there as the soon-to-be leader. She couldn't speak for the Fourth. She had to speak for all of RiverClan. Snowstorm spoke again. "Thrushflight, I—it's not just that I can't speak for you. I can't speak for them." The medicine cat turned toward her, for once at a loss for words. Peaceheart felt a tugging in her heart. She knew Thrushflight was going to fight her decision, and Snowstorm would fight back. She could see how the argument would go. Neither cat would concede. It would waste precious time. She stepped forward. "Thrushflight, please." There was complete silence in the barn. "Don't make her go." Thrushflight opened his mouth. He was about to argue, and she knew it. Then Storm stepped forward, and hope surged in Peaceheart's heart. "He'll go," she said. He nodded. "I'll go." |-|Chapter 19= Thrushflight had protested. "No offense, Storm, but—you've never been a Clan cat, and—you weren't part of the Fourth until three days ago. What will you say to them? How will you convince them?" "I'll tell them my story," Storm said, his voice growing more powerful as he faced Thrushflight. "How the Cats of the Soil were split from birth, and we were weak. How we didn't know that cooperation was vital to survival. How, once Snowstorm and Mushroom brought us together, we became almost immediately stronger. I don't know if they will listen to me. I don't know if my words will make a difference. But I do know that someone has to try, and I want that someone to be me." The medicine cat was silent as he considered the young tom's words. At last, he nodded. "You will speak for us," he meowed, "in front of the four leaders. Let us pray to StarClan that they hear you." ---- Thrushflight insisted that at the meeting where Storm would speak for the Fourth, there must also be a representation for each Clan. He also warned them that the representative should not be a cat too close to the Fourth, which meant that Pondbubble could not go for ShadowClan. She wouldn't have wanted to anyway. She was grieving the loss of her mentor. Of course, the members of the Fourth could not go to mourn Birchstripe along with her, but they could sit vigil, in the barn, and think sympathetic thoughts to Pondbubble, even if she did not know they were doing so. Peaceheart especially thought that she owed time to Pondbubble for Birchstripe. She hadn't gotten to know the ShadowClan medicine cat very well before his death, and felt that she should have, as she had known him from far away as a talented and wise healer. Anyway, as Thrushflight had said, Pondbubble could not go for ShadowClan. Which meant that they had to find another cat. Someone that wasn't a medicine cat that would agree to their cause and be able to defy the warrior code to attend the meeting. Gracklewing thought that they might be able to get Ravenstar on their side, but Thrushflight was doubtful that a leader would desert his Clan to meddle in RiverClan's affairs, while at the Gathering eleven moons ago he had stood with the other three leaders and expressed his desire to keep separate from the three warring groups. And anyway, Snowstorm had another idea. When she had gone to ShadowClan eleven moons ago to give them Pondkit and to warn Ravenstar about RiverClan's attack, Snowstorm had met a ShadowClan warrior named Weedstorm who had brought her to camp. She had seen Weedstorm again three days ago when she went to the Clan to see Pondbubble, and the warrior had seemed sympathetic. Snowstorm thought that Weedstorm might speak for ShadowClan if they asked her to. Leafwhisker and Mintflower thought it was a great idea. Thrushflight wasn't so sure, but he allowed Snowstorm to travel to ShadowClan one more time to talk to her. This time, Peaceheart accompanied Snowstorm, as she was the cat that would hopefully be leader of RiverClan when the meeting was over. Thrushflight wanted her there so that Weedstorm understood Peaceheart's capability and had reasons to defend her during the meeting. It was the first time that Peaceheart had gone to ShadowClan territory, and as they padded further into the territory of muck and dirt, she shivered, wondering why any cat would want to live there. It wasn't long before they were met by a patrol, led by a silver tortoiseshell she-cat. Snowstorm made her explanations and the tortoiseshell, who Peaceheart thought was named Silverdapple, escorted them to camp along with a younger warrior that Silverdapple had called Duckwing. Weedstorm's expression when they told her about the meeting was calm, with a hint of curiosity and just a bit of unsureness. When Snowstorm and Peaceheart were done talking, she took a deep breath. "I need to think about this," she said. "Will you give me until the quarter moon? I will be at Fourtrees at moonhigh six nights after tonight." "Six nights after tonight," Snowstorm repeated, then nodded. "We'll be there." ---- Six nights later. It was the quarter moon. Snowstorm and Peaceheart waited under the shadows of Fourtrees, ears pricked for the sound of Weedstorm's steps through the undergrowth. The moon was just nearing the top of its arc; if Peaceheart looked straight up and a little to the right, she could just spot the thin yellow crescent through the gray clouds wrapped around it. Leaf-bare was nearing its end; soon the dark, bare branches above them would sprout tiny green leaves as newleaf settled over the forest. Weedstorm did not take long; she seemed to materialize out of the shadows, tail swishing, orange eyes gleaming. "Weedstorm," Snowstorm greeted her, nodding politely. "Have you come to a decision?" "I have," Weedstorm replied. "Let us talk." She led them to a spot in the shadows of the great rock the leaders stood upon at Gatherings. After gesturing to them to sit, before settling down herself, she cleared her throat and then said, "I cannot speak for you." Peaceheart took a breath. You knew she might say that, Peaceheart. Don't look so surprised. "But I know someone who will." Out of the undergrowth stepped another cat, a chocolate-brown tortoiseshell tabby. Peaceheart hadn't even heard her coming. "This is my former apprentice, Fennelleaf," Weedstorm meowed. Snowstorm's eyes lit up in recognition. "Fennelleaf," she whispered. Weedstorm nodded. "Yes. You've met her, Snowstorm. Fennelleaf, I'd like to introduce you to Snowstorm and Peaceheart." She angled her tail toward each of them in turn. "Nice to meet you," Fennelleaf said. "Fennelleaf has agreed to speak for you," Weedstorm said to Peaceheart and Snowstorm, "because I am expecting kits." "Oh, congratulations!" Snowstorm meowed. "Thank you," Weedstorm responded, a glint of excitement in her orange eyes. "They're due soon, which is why I cannot make promises to come to your meeting. Fennelleaf can, and she supports your cause. That is why I chose her." Snowstorm addressed her next words to Fennelleaf. "Thank you very much for your support. We are indebted to you." "There's no need to be," Fennelleaf replied. "No one believes RiverClan can survive this way except RiverClan. I'll do anything to unite it again, to bring back the proper ways of the forest. Four Clans, no more." Snowstorm thanked her again, and so did Peaceheart. After giving Fennelleaf the exact details of the meeting, Snowstorm and Peaceheart turned in the direction of the barn, while the ShadowClan cats departed for their camp, seeming to disappear with a flick of their tails. I suppose that must be a ShadowClan thing. On the way back, Peaceheart turned to Snowstorm. "So now all we need is representatives of WindClan and ThunderClan." The white she-cat nodded. "I think Thrushflight and Gracklewing have that figured out. We'll talk to them in the morning." Great idea, Peaceheart thought, clamping her mouth shut to hold back a yawn as she stumbled to her nest in the barn. "Good night, Snowstorm..." She wasn't awake long enough to hear the she-cat's reply. Category:Fanfictions Category:Fanfictions (Incomplete) Category:Fanfictions (Fanon) Category:Content (Qibli77)